Refrigeration



P 1935- G. VARNEY REFRIGERATION Filed Sept. 5, 1931 FIG. 2.

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Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,015,168 REFRIGERATION Gordon Varney, Bradenton, Fla. Application September 5, 1931, Serial No. 561,457

14 Claims. (01. 62-104) This invention relates, in general, to the art of refrigeration, and more particularly to that phase of refrigeration known as quick freezing", the objects to be frozen being, usually, either articles subject to rapid deterioration in the absence of a relatively shallow body of heat conductive fluid in its lower portion to provide flotation for the objects to be frozen and to provide for an intimate heat exchange contactwhich is free from insulation, due to frosting.

Another object of my invention is to supply such a fluid in a refrigerating tube in the interests of providing a certain degree of flotation and a lessening of frictional resistance to the passage of an article, to be refrigerated, through said tube. It is a further object of my invention to provide .as a. carrier means, for progressive refrigeration,

flotable on such liquid, a carrier which, in itself, is adaptable for use in wrapping the article to be refrigerated.

Other objects of my invention will be found in the accompanying specification and claims, and will be disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic showing in a vertical cross-section taken longitudinally of my device.

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section of the structure shown in Figure 1 taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring now with greater particularity to the drawing, it will be seen that my device is comprised as follows. A suitable refrigeration chamber I is provided with a refrigerant tube 2 having inlet and outlet conduits 3 and 4, respectively, for the ingress and egress of refrigerant. Surrounding the tube 2, within the chamber I, is a fluid 5 of relatively high specific gravity and high heat conductivity, the fluid 5 being supplied in suiflcient quantity to attain a level of shallow depth above the upper surface of the tube 2. The inner walls of the chamber I are formed with projections 6, curved as shown, and reaching approximately to the adjacent upper covers of the tube 2.

At 1 I have shown a roll of Cellophane 8, or

' the chamber I.

some such similar flexible material, which is adapted to act as a carrier for the packages 8 to be frozen. The rollers 9, III, II and I2 provide for feeding the Cellophane from the roller 8. A spray nozzle I3 is provided for cleaning the 5 Cellophane of the fluid 5 and wipers I4 are provided to supplement this cleaning process. Leaving the roller I2, the Cellophane falls onto table I5 togetherwith the package I6. The Cel1o-.

, phane strip is then cut to the desired dimensions 10 and used as a wrapper for the package I6.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my device operates as follows. Under the influence of the action of rollers 9, I0, II and I2 the sheet of Cellophane, or other similar material, is fed from the roll I through the chamber I. The curved projections 6 cause the Cellophane to be curved upwardly at its lateral edges. There is a suflicient amount of liquid 5 to insure that the package I6 is wholly, or almost entirely, floated by said liquid, and that the contact, if any, between the upper surface of the tube 2 and the Cellophane would be such as to provide a negligible frictional resistance. As the Cellophane strip emerges, with its package from the chamber I its lower surface is subjected to the cleansing action of the spray I3 and the wipers I4. The packages I6 fall onto table I5 and the Cellophane 8 emerging from the rollers, iscut to appropriate sizes and used as a wrapper for the packages frozen.

It will be seen that I have thus provided a refrigeration chamber having a refrigeration tube surrounded by a flotation fiuid, the liquid and projections of the chamber I forming a curved guide for the Cellophane carrier. This curved guide is to prevent contact of the article to be refrigerated with the liquid 5. The carrier serves the dual purpose of conveying the packages through the refrigeration chamber and of serving as a wrapper for the refrigerated product. The liquid 5 serves as a flotation and friction reducing means as well as a heat conductive medium. The fluid 5 is substantially static within Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. As a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerat-. ing chamber, a film of substantially static heat conductive liquid filling the base of said chamber, a carrier passing through said chamber and contacting with said liquid.

2. As a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigeration chamber, a refrigerating tube extending throughout the length of said chamber, a carrier positioned in said chamber above said tube, and a film 55 of heat conductive liquid means thermally connecting said tube and said carrier.

3. As a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigeration chamber, a refrigeration tube extending throughout the length of said chamber, a carrier positioned in said chamber and above said tube, and a film of heat conductive fluid wetting the upper surface of said tube and the lower surface of said carrier. I

4. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerated tube, a carrier extending through said tube for conveying an article to be refrigerated, the lower portion of said tube being filled with a substantially static liquid of high heat conductivity contacting with said carrier, the bottom of said carrier and the adjacent surface of said refrigerated tube having interposed therebetween a thin film of said fluid.

5. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerated tube and a substantially flat carrier of moistureproof flexible material passing therethrough for conveying articles to be refrigerated, the lower portion of said tube being filled with a liquid, said carrier being adapted to be wrapped about said article when the process of refrigeration is complete so as to form a container for said article, said carrier contacting with the surface of said liquid.

6. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerated tube and a substantially flat carrier of moistureproof flexible material passing therethrough for conveying articles to be refrigerated, the lower portion of said tube being filled with a liquid of high heat conductive properties, said carrier being adapted to be wrapped about said articles when the process of refrigeration is complete so as to form a container for said article, said carrier contacting with the surface of said liquid.

7. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerated tube, a substantially flat carrier of moisture-proof Y flexible material passing therethrough for conveying articles to be refrigerated, the lower portion of said tube being filled with a liquid of high heat conductivity contacting with said carrier, said carrier being adapted to be wrapped about said article when the process of refrigeration is complete so as to form a container for said article, said carrier contacting with the surface of said liquid.

8. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigeration chamber, means for providing and maintaining a film of substantially static heat conductive liquid filling the base of said chamber and a carrier passing through said chamber and contacting with said liquid while the articles to be refrigerated are in thermal contact therewith.

9. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigeration chamber, means for providing and maintaining a substantially static heat conductive liquid filling the base of said chamber and a substantially flat carrier of moisture-proof flexible material passing through said chamber and contacting with said liquid while the articles to be refrigerated are in thermal contact therewith, said carrier being adapted to be wrapped about the articles to be refrigerated when the refrigeration process is completed so as to form a container for said article.

10. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, means for refrigerating said chamber, means for providing and maintaining a film of heat conductive liquid filling the base of said chamber, means for refrigerating said liquid and a carrier passing through said chamber and contacting with said liquid while the articles to be refrigerated are in thermal contact therewith.

11. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, means for refrigerating said chamber, a heat conductive liquid filling the base of said chamber and a substantially fiat carrier of moisture-proof flexible material passing through said chamber and contacting with said liquid, said carrier being adapted to be wrapped about the articles to be refrigerated when their refrigeration process is completed so as to form a container for said article, said carrier contacting at'its base with said liquid.

12. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating chamber, means for providing and maintainso ing a film of substantially heat conductive liquid filling the base of said chamber and a carrier passing through said chamber and contacting with said liquid.

13. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerating chamber and substantially static heat conductive liquid filling the base of said chamber and a substantially flat carrier of moisture-proofflexible material passing through said chamber and contacting with said liquid while the articles to be 40 refrigerated are in contact therewith, said carrier being adapted to be wrapped about the articles to be refrigerated when the refrigeration process is completed so as to form a container for said article.

14. In a refrigeration apparatus, a refrigerated tube, a substantially flat carrier of moistureproof flexible material extending through said tube for conveying an article to be refrigerated, the lower portion of said tube being filled with a substantially static liquid of high heat conductivity contacting with said carrier, the bottom of said carrier and the adjacent surface of said refrigerated tube having interposed therebetween a thin film of said fluid, said carrier adapted to be wrapped about said article when the process .of refrigeration is complete so as to form a container for said article. l

GORDON VARNEY.- 

